Four keys to firing up your audience
I’ve spent much of the last week helping pharma executives prepare to present at a national sales meeting. This exercise reminds me that skilled presenters master four keys: content, voice, body language, and visual aids. We’ll cover one key in each of the next four posts, starting today with content.
Content is king. You must be relevant. No shake, Sherlock, right? But how often have you sat through an eloquent talk that means nothing to you? I am convinced that the main reason people dread going to corporate meetings is because they learn nothing. Tell your audience something they don’t know. Better yet, inspire them.
Let’s say the meeting owner or your boss assigns you a topic. If it’s relevant, great. Now challenge yourself to think of a better topic. Start by asking why you’re speaking to this group. What do you want to say, and what do they want to hear? Thoughtful speakers deliver on both sides of that question.
Once settled on content, skilled speakers shape their messages with a discrete opening, middle, and closing. They open by defining their purpose. They make their supporting points. They close by repeating their key points, and if appropriate, setting next steps.
Whether you speak off a script or to slides, act as if you are talking to a single friend. When you speak in conversation, you naturally vary your sentence length — short, medium, long. Do the same on stage, but favor short, simple sentences. They are easier to say, to hear, and to understand. Like the eye, the ear grows tired of big words.
When you have a resonant message, your next challenge is your voice – how you to say it. Tomorrow we’ll address your three most important vocal features – pace, volume, and articulation.